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Priest builds
Since the talent review in the 1.10 patch, most if not all the Talents available to priests will find a use somewhere. You can use this page to give you ideas about the kinds of options that are available to you as a priest. Mix and match the talents that appeal to you and your style of play. You should read the Priest Talents page for more information about specific talents. Level 10 - 69 Builds Blackout vs. Spirit Tap If your emphasis is on PvP, you should select Blackout instead of Spirit Tap whenever it is listed. Note that most lower level builds focus on leveling, not PvP. Holy Damage Builds Despite the improvements to the Holy tree, the Shadow tree is still considered the best route for leveling. See the Level 70 Builds section for templates you might want to use if you want to concentrate on the Holy and Discipline trees. With the 2.0.1 patch, holy is looking good, with the psuedo-Nightfall and the spell damage increase. Blackout vs. Shadow Focus The build recommendations (for PvE grinding) suggest putting points into Shadow Focus over Blackout, up to Level 40. * Shadow Focus allows you to confidently go up against mobs that are two, three, or even four levels above you, providing a higher rate of leveling and better itemization through higher level quests and drops. * Blackout, on the other hand, reduces incoming DPS but happens at random. This can break the 'flow' of grinding, especially if you back away from the mob and put yourself out of range. Shadow Focus will generally be preferred by skilled players who are grinding at the limit of survivability, while Blackout provides more security. Level 10 - 20 Emphasis on Shadow talents. Taking down mobs fast and reducing downtime are the most important things. Your built-in healing abilities will be ample for any groups you are in. Your talents at level 20: http://www.wowhead.com/talent/?rZZxMhz * Spirit Tap: Faster mana regen between mobs. * Shadow Focus: Allows you to concentrate on mobs of a higher level than yourself. * Improved SW:P: As the harder battles last longer than 18 seconds. * Mind Flay: The most useful talent in the Shadow tree. It has high DPS and high mana efficiency. Level 21 - 30 Stick with improving damage dealing talents. You can still heal fine. Your talents at level 30: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZZxMxtM0o * Improved Mind Blast: Reduces the cooldown of the highest DPS attack we have. * Shadow Reach: Allows you to attack targets from farther away. * Vampiric Embrace: Allows you to greatly reduce dependancy on Power Word: Shield, in favor of taking and healing damage as you go. Level 21 - 39 Alternate Route: Fast level grind This build minimizes downtime between fights. Start with the level 20 build from above: Level 20. Then, for each level add Wand Specialization and after that Improved Renew. At level 28 your build should look like this: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=dVZcZxMhz After level 28, spend your points in the shadow tree like the shadow builds in this article. When you hit level 40, respec to get Shadowform. How to use this build: * At max range start with Power Word: Shield * Follow up with Mind Blast and Shadow Word: Pain * Do some more damage with Mind Flay * If you expect to take lots of damamge, use Renew * Finally, use your wand until the mob is dead * After five seconds of using your wand the spririt regen will start filling your mana. * Spirit Tap will kick in when the mob is dead, which should return you to full mana by the time you reach the next mob This way you can grind mobs and almost never stop for a mana break. Level 31 - 40 More Shadow Talents. Around this point your healing will become noticeably gimped. Your talents at level 40: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZZxMgtMto0k * Shadow Weaving: Increases DPS by about 10% over all. Stacks with a Shadow damage wand. * Silence: A very useful talent in PvP and PvE instances. * Shadowform: Increases damage by 15% and reduces damage taken by 15% for a single talent point. Level 41 - 50 Even More Shadow. Your talents at level 49: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZZEMgtMto0t * Blackout: Reduces damage taken in PvE, and is invaluable in PvP. * Darkness: Increases damage by 10%. Level 50 - 59 Instance Healing Concentrates on healing efficiency while retaining Shadow spec for grinding and PvP. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZf0xZxMgtMtRht * Improved Renew: Improves mana efficiency and healing per second. * Divine Fury: Allows you to use Greater Heal rather than Flash Heal, improving mana efficiency. Fast Grinding Maximizes damage output for PvE. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rV0hZbZxMgtMtRht * Wand Specialization: Increases DPS. * Improved Vampiric Embrace: Increases healing output from Vampiric Embrace. PvP Concentates mostly on maximizing damage, with some survivability. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rx0GzZbZVMGpMtRht * Unbreakable Will, Improved PW:S, Martyrdom: Improves survivability. * Inner Focus: Makes the next spell zero-cost with +25% crit chance. Level 60 - 69 PvE Maximizes damage output in PvE. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bVMhzoZbZxMgtMtRhtVo Raid Healer This build is very popular among Priests looking to heal on raids. It aims to improve the power of your healing while stretching your mana pool out for a long as possible using Inner Focus, Improved Healing, Mental Strength and Meditation so you can keep healing through the long fights in MC and BWL. Very hard to level solo level with this build. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxRhzhxtZfhtcc0qVh PvP A heavy emphasis on the Shadow Tree gives you the maximum raw DPS. This build generates a lot of threat, and so is most suited for PvP. For tough instances try the Shadow Raider build below. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rx0GzZbZVMgtMtRhtqo Notes: * Swap some points for Spirit Tap, this gives less DPS but longer killing in for example BGs before having to pause and drink again. * Healing Focus. This is only 2 points and a huge 70% of a chance not to get casting interruption while healing, so vital to most Priests. The problem is that you can't heal while in Shadowform, so this talent isn't for those who don't like to shift out of face-melting mode occasionally. * For non-PvP raid DPS, Shadow damage doesn't scale up as well as Holy (below) does. Holy Warrior This build focuses on maximizing Holy damage. The DPS is not as good as the Shadow build (unless you have very large amounts of +damage), but healing and survivability is better. The basic build: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxrMzhxt0tZfxx0cbVb * Force of Will and Searing Light beef up the DPS of your main damage spells: Smite and Holy Fire. * Martyrdom and Healing Focus improve your survivability againist Rogues and Warriors. * If your focus is on instances, consider moving several points to Silent Resolve. Shadow Raider A specialised build designed to improve the shadow damage of the Priest and the Warlocks. The basic build: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxG0zhZZxGxtMxRhtVo * The points in Shadow Reach are so you can use Mind Flay at a range of +21 yards, while the AoE range of some bosses is 20 range. * Shadow Weaving uses one debuff slot to increase shadow damage by 15%. Note that the Warlocks using shadow magic do not have to be in the same party as the priest to benefit from Shadow Weaving. * Shadow Affinity and Silent Resolve provide a combined 45% reduction in threat from the priest, to counter the double threat Mind Blast does compared to other spells. Do not use Mind Blast often, or maybe at all. For this reason, many builds drop Improved Mind Blast altogether, since, if used every 5.5 seconds, it causes too much threat. * Remind Warlocks to use Life Tap whenever they are at full health, so they always recieve some benefit from Vampiric Embrace. * The priest will run out of mana quickly using this build, so have some way to recover your Mana quickly, which is why the points in Meditation are useful. * Some choose to move points out of Misery to get Silence against strong spells. Level 70 Builds PvP "Face Melter" This build is a pure PvP build, sacrificing all 45% worth of possible threat reductions, and going right to the end of the shadow tree to get a second DoT. It includes only healing focus in the holy tree, and a few points in discipline for buffs and mana efficiency. The build is hardly viable for raiding, but in the new arena system, as well as normal PvP, it will truly "melt faces." http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rxMGzhZbZVMGpMtRhtVo Notes *Misery over Shadow Power, since Shadow Word: Death is only situational. *Healing Focus is essential for healing against quick striking foes like rogues, warriors, or hunter's pets. *May substitute Improved Vampiric Embrace (if for some reason you're not a fan) for Imporved Mind Blast. *The 20% threat reduction talent was revised in 2.0.1 to include a 20% reduction in the chances of your spells being dispelled, helpful in PvP. Shadow Raider Not often a viable choice, since the lack of priests in general constrains many guilds to have all their priests spec holy/discipline. However, with the the new expansion having 40 debuff slots, there is room for a priests Shadow Weaving (increases shadow damage by up to 15% by just casting shadow spells). This build has all the main elements of PVP, but with all threat reduction abilities taken. It includes the new 41 point shadow talent, which is a second DoT that restores some mana to all party members when you deal damage. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxgbzhZbZVGrzMtRhtVo Shadow Priests, however, should not be underestimated in their ability to dish out dps. With the proper talents, gear, and skill, they can very well out-preform equally, if not better geared classes with high damage output. Their gear should focus on +shadow damage/+damage and healing, with + to spell hit and then intellect being second priorities. Using DoTs extensively, mana conservation, and learning how to manage aggro is crucial. An example of a good talent build for this role: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rxx0zZZxGxtMxohtEo (the last point is a matter of preference) Notes *You may want to substitute points out of Improved Mind Blast into Improved Power Word: Fortitude and Power Word: Shield, depending on what you think is more important. Holy Raider (Healer) Unfortunately, the new Holy tree is somewhat of a disappointment. I don't recommend going beyond the seventh tier. However, the majority of priests will have to spec full Holy if they want to have the most impressive heals possible. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxG0dhxtbZfxxMcMVV Notes *Avoid most abilities that require a critical hit to proc, such as Blessed Recovery. Even healing criticals are often a waste, since they have a tendency to overheal (note that Holy Specialization is still included in the build due to a lack of good alternatives). *No talents are chosen which improve a holy priests offensive abilities (Smite and Holy Fire), in order to have the best healer. *Threat reduction is rarely necessary, unless you have an incapable tank or a difficult boss. *Wand damage is sometimes useful if your group/party is mostly healed, and you want to do some damage without interupting the 5 second rule. Absolution and Silent Resolve have been chosen as situationally useful talents in this build, for which Wand Damage may be substituted. *Lightwell has been changed to give much more healing and Spirit of Redemption now lasts 15 seconds after death and increases spirit by 5%, which may make them viable, depending on your playstyle. Note from Achilles_h: I consider the above build to be inferior to this one, http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxG0khxzZfLxccMVVhV. This is because it wastes 5 points on 10% increased mana, where at level 70, 5 points in Empowered healing will give you more total healing out of your mana pool for the same amount of talent points(Prayer of Mending is great, but Greater Heal is still what's used to heal a tank). It is also uses 2 points on Imp. Divine Spirit, while most level 70 healers will always choose +Healing and mp/5 before Spirit(Yes, Imp. Divine Spirit is a great buff for all casters, but we wanted a healer and not a buffer, right?). Notes from Wisens: I think that because our tree's have good meat in the middle and not the end, I take the best from both and go a little deeper in holy for Holy Concentration for endurance. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxG0khxzZfLxccMVVhV I take advantage of both trees of Holy/Disp. I call this the "Best of Both Worlds". It brings you to your maximum +healing and give you the ablity to spam your heals in 5 mans and 10 mans where one healer has to pull thier weight in healing power and endure till the end. This build helps out with what the priest needs more from observing how Paladins and Druids heal. Paladins spam and Druids top off. This build with decent gear, can out-heal and out last both paladins and druids in 5-10 man instances. Notes from Holygirl: This build http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=dxG0khxzZfxxcc0qVhV will be best after nerf PoM. Holy Warrior Designed for maximizing holy damage, and while less powerful than a shadow build (unless decently geared), it allows some effective healing when situation calls for it. Holy damage is generally less resisted than shadow. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMrzhxtbtZbxthbbVb Notes: *Divine Fury, Searing Light, Spiritual Guidance, and Surge of Light for maximum damage from holy tree. *Divine Spirit, Force of Will, and Power Infusion for further increased spell damage. Discipline Most priest invest in the Discipline build to some degree, at least high enough to obtain Inner Focus. Discipline increases the power of buffs (Power Word: Shield, Fortitude, Divine Spirit, etc.), balances DPS and healing, and most importantly, conserves mana. However, there are limited numbers of full Discipline priests, as most tend to specialize in the Shadow or Holy trees. Discipline is an alternative that allows a priest to both deal damage and heal, though probably not as adept at either one as a Shadow or Holy Priest. The builds below shows only Discipline talents. Going against traditional priest methods, I found focusing on the Discipline tree very rewarding. I could easily solo at my own level in PvE, my strong buffs and large mana pool kept me popular as a team healer, and I was a force to be reckoned with in PvP. Listed for you is a basic discipline build I followed, with some extra room left for you to tailor for your own liking. I would recommend either of the other two trees, as they both have some early talents that can really compliment a discipline build: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxGbzhxtbtE PvP endurance-focused build: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=bxMGzIxt If for some incomprehensible reason you want to invest 41+ talent points into the Discipline tree, this is how I suggest you do it. http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=bxMGzIgtMxoo Notes *Refer to the previous builds for a good investment in Discipline as a complementary tree. *Martyrdom, Improved Inner Fire, Power Word: Shield, Reflective Shield, Force of Will, Focused Power (and maybe Mana Burn) are mainly PvP skills, so invest in these appropriately. *Mental Agility is only really useful in non-healing, non-damage dealing, utility spells. *Talents past Focused Power are "too little too late" to be of much use. One would be better off investing their talents in one of the other trees. *PvP healing-focused build concentrates on the survivability of a priest healing in PvP. *Don't bother going for Pain Suppression. You'll rarely find yourself in situations where a Fade or Power Word: Shield can't keep you from taking damage, aside from full PvP. Support 40-Man Raid Healer http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=dxMhuhxtbzZfotcfdVb This build should not be widely used. Its main focus is enabling the support healer (as opposed to the main healers) in the raid to efficiently assist in healing the raid while the main healers heal the tanks. Since not many raids actually need support healers this build is very specialised for 40-man raids. The build retains enough Holy talents to replace any main healer that was killed in case the need arises but sacrifices the really spectacular heals for the sake of numerous utility talents that improve the general raid's performance. The key benefits are: *Healer Support Talents - Most main healers for 40-man raids will opt for getting Circle of Healing in the holy tree. This will give them a very tough choice of what to do with their remaining 10 points. A support healer with improved Power Word: Shield, Fortitude will allow them to spend much needed points on reducing the threat caused by spectacular healing. *Emergency Heals - By using the Holy Specialization, Inspiration and Inner Focus talents combination these priests will be able to dish out those oft needed emergency heals to needy tanks. A good emergency heal can be the difference between a downed boss and a raid wipe. Holy Nova can be used to dish out quick heals to ranged raid members (specifically hunters, mages and warlocks) without generating any threat as they are usually grouped together away from the main healers' focus. *Caster Boosting - Using both the Improved Divine Spirit and Power Infusion talents these priests can improve the performance of any caster in the raid dramatically. This combined boost of spell damage and healing can boost a raid's dps or healing dynamically as required during raid engagements. *Improved Decursing - Decreased mana cost of decursing spells, combined with a larger mana bank make these priests decursing machines. When facing one of those pesky raid bosses or even trash, who take a fancy to debuffing the entire raid or large portions of it, these priests prove to be a valuable asset indeed. Category:Guides Category:Talents Category:Priest Talents